Baby Ella Fund

Ten Doves, a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization proudly announces the launch of its Baby Ella Education Fund for handicapped children in need. The fund was named for Ella Hollingsworth, a baby girl who was born with deformed arms, hands and one leg. Her father Mark’s story, in his own words, is below.

“In October of 2009 we found out that we were expecting a baby, and with much excitement went to our first sonogram where bad news quickly changed us forever. At first we thought there was an issue with her leg being a little short. Then it progressed to a twisted foot and upon further looking we discovered her right arm had not formed fully and her left had no fingers. Our hearts were on the floor at this point and our hope dim. There was the option given of not continuing with the pregnancy but our love of the Lord and life would never allow such a thing. We began a long journey of prayer and fasting for this little one that was to come. We got the word out as soon as we could with our blog (http://www.hollingsworthnewbaby.blogspot.com). We could not believe the response we receive from people all over the country and world responding in prayer for this little girl who had not even been born yet.

Ella Shalom was born in June of 2010, her name means torch or bright light of peace and wholeness. She is every bit her name. Her final medical condition after birth is this, her right arm goes just past where an elbow is supposed to be and that entire arm is one fused bone all the way to the end with no hand at all. Her left arm goes down to what should be a hand but as it formed it has only two deformed fingers. One finger has some partial function to it but the other does not. Her left leg is perfect in every way. Her right leg is the one that is of most importance. There are two bones in the lower portion of a leg the tibia and the fibula. She only has a fibula and the tibia did not finish growing. In addition she has only one bone in her foot where the ankle should form.

Three days after her birth we had her at the specialists and were given even worse news then all of this put together. The best way to give her a chance to run and play like other children was to amputate her leg just below the knee and give her a prosthetic. Can you imagine a mother and fathers heart after being told they have to remove their baby girls foot? We have been to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th opinions but they are for the most part agree. She will be looking at several surgeries and they want to do this procedure as early as 9 to 12 months. This year seems like it will be even harder than the last. The medical bills are already mounting and this puts us in a difficult place.

Our other 4 daughters need as much love and attention as possible. They all have a love of dance and we have many dress up ballet nights at our house to spend time together. My middle daughter loves art and the little ones have fun being read books and tumbling around doing summer somersaults. We know that this year will be filled with being in and out of hospitals with surgeries and therapies. Their education is important to us but we know that as a homeschool family we cannot handle all of these aspects of our lives at once without a little help in this season of our lives.

We have been so blessed this year, and thanks to Ten Doves Charity, we have been able to send Jaedyn to a 4 day program to give her a great head start on her education. It has allowed us the ability to go to doctors appointments, have Ella in therapy, and give my wife a small opportunity to teach the two older ones in between all the other business of life. We would like to give our other girls the same ability. There are many homeschool driven educational schools around that would give us the added help we need. Our family is strong in the Lord and we know that He will provide to us what we need. He will gives us encouragement and love to make it through because He chose us and bless us with the special gift of Ella Shalom.
Stacy Lynne, Co-Founder and Director of Ten Doves said “Education develops character and is the doorway to a child’s future. Many children in difficult situations simply don’t have access. We connect gracious givers with wonderful kids in need.” David Boston, board advisor and volunteer with Ten Doves added “Our mission is simple, but not easy. To provide educational scholarships to disadvantaged children in need. We were blessed to find Ella and to be in position to help.”

Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it. -Proverbs 22:6

About Ten Doves
Ten Doves, a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization, is based in Mckinney, TX. It provides educational scholarships and basic school supplies to children in need. Most of our kids have medical issues, are living in poverty, or have lost a parent killed while serving the military, police and fire department. For young children, we help their family or caregiver wrap them in love with pre-school classes, tutoring, and basic school supplies. For older children, we fund after-school programs, tutoring, college tuition, books, and supplies. We value balanced curriculum including reading, writing and math, science and technology, history and the arts. Ten Doves is GuideStar® Partner in Trust. We believe in high ethics, efficiency, and making every dollar stretch a long way.